308: Maslow`s Hierarchy of Needs

An Exercise in Personal Exploration:
Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs
by Bob Poston, cst
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs is a valuable assessment tool that is used in
many different professions, particularly those in the fields of education
and health care. the ideas of needs are addressed in order, as the body
resolves the most basic needs for survival before moving on to more
complex needs.
M
any educational programs in the health care field teach
Maslow’s hierarchy in order to address the needs of
patients and where they are in their life from a psychological perspective, simply because it helps identify and
address the needs of those particular patients.
The idea of using a hierarchy pyramid helps us to lay out the
stages of need, starting with the base of the pyramid, which looks
at physiological needs. As we work our way up the pyramid, the
needs start to become more complex, and include safety needs,
social needs, esteem needs, and finally, at the very top, we have
self-actualization. This article explores the theories of Abraham
Maslow in detail, as well as addresses the controversies that have
been questioned in his theory. This article will also evaluate the
impact of these theories on human behavior and assess each of
the components comprised within Maslow’s Hierarchy Pyramid.
Biographical outline
Born on April 1, 1908, in Brooklyn, New York, Abraham Maslow
was the first of seven children.1 The son of under-educated Jewish immigrants, Maslow didn’t have many friends as a young
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Association of Surgical Technologists
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learning OBJec tives
s
identify the different levels of
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
s
Compare and contrast the
differences between being needs
and deficit needs
s
explain the process of selfactualization
s
examine how Maslow’s Hierarchy of
needs impacts patient care
s
Consider the challenges to
Maslow’s theories and formulate
a response
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food and play, they would in more
cases choose the food. The same was
true when it came to the monkeys’
choice between water and food. The
water would always be chosen as the
Selfpriority over food.
Self-fulfullment
actualization:
needs
achieving one’s
As the observations continued, a
full potential,
pattern emerged. Maslow could see, on
including creative
a physiological level, that if the monactivities
keys didn’t have food, but had water,
Esteem needs:
the group was less aggressive than
prestige and feeling of accomplishment
Psychological
those that had the water taken away
needs
Belongingness and love needs:
from them. 1 The same held true with
intimate relationships, friends
safety needs. If all of the physiologiSafety needs:
cal needs were met, then the monkeys’
security, safety
Basic
behavior became more profound when
needs
Physiological needs:
it came to establishing social roles and
food, water, warmth, rest
dominance.
Maslow later transitioned this idea
over to human behavior and was able
to establish physiological needs over
child, but found his sense of self by reading books. He safety needs, safety needs over belongingness needs, belongingness needs over esteem needs, and esteem needs. The
began his college journey by attending City College of New
needs, in turn, form the first four components of the pyraYork, and later transferred to Cornell University, before
mid, and are addressed as deficit needs. Self-actualization,
going back to City College of New York. After realizing a
the fifth component, addresses the need of being, which
keen interest in psychology, he moved to Wisconsin, where
he studied at the University of Wisconsin. Throughout defines one’s own place in the universe.
When an individual does not have enough of something,
the 1930s, Maslow earned his BA, MA and PhD.1 Later,
he returned to New York, where he not only taught full he or she has a deficit, ultimately creating what Maslow has
time at Brooklyn College, but he also became interested in termed “deficit needs.”1 When individuals eat and drink,
human sexuality.
for example, the need for water and food is met, so there
Maslow served as chair of the Department of Psy- is no longer a motivating factor to obtain water or food,
chology at Brandeis from 1951-61. 1 While there, he met
and the deficit need has temporarily been satisfied. Deficit
a well-established researcher named Kurt Goldstein, who needs comprise or make up the four lower components of
Maslow’s hierarchy pyramid.
developed the idea of “self-actualization.” This concept
On the other hand, Maslow also mentions the idea of
fascinated Maslow, and it was through this notion that he
“being needs.” Being needs have nothing to do with deficit
pursued the idea of humanistic psychology, which he ultineeds. Being needs are internal, and are at the very top of
mately valued more than his own research. Maslow died
Maslow’s hierarchy pyramid, which ties into self-actualizaon June 8, 1970.1
tion.2 An example here might be drawing one’s own conclusions of where and who he or she is spiritually. This internal
creating the hierarchy of needs
concept is addressed as self-actualization.
Abraham Maslow is well known for the creation of the
The following sections of this article will address each
hierarchy of needs. The way he came up with this idea
level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in more detail in an
was by studying and observing monkeys. During observation, he noticed that they displayed a very unusual pattern effort to see how they apply to individuals, and how they
of behavior that addressed priorities based on individual can define who and where an individual is in his or her life.
needs. If, for example, the monkeys had a choice between
FIGURE 1: MASLOW’S HIERARCHY PYRAMID
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PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS
With so many different capabilities, from the regulation of
temperature and hormones to the processing of water, food
and the elimination of waste, the living body is the most
unique machine in the universe. Despite its relative fragility,
the human body can live for many years. Every single detail
is so integral, from how the body processes oxygen through
millions and millions of tissue cells, to the thousands of
miles of arteries that carry blood and nutrients to those tissues. With this being said, there is still the need to meet the
very basic essentials of life: the body must take on oxygen,
water and food. Before any further growth can take place,
this very basic need has to be met. This is what Maslow
addresses as a physiological need—the need for the body
to work in unison to accomplish the task of basic survival.
Physiological needs are influenced generally through the
cravings that we have. If a person is thirsty, he or she finds
a drinking fountain. Similarly, if the individual is hungry,
he or she will find food. If the body is being deprived of
oxygen, it will surely react. If there is a vitamin deficiency,
the body has subtle ways of fulfilling that need.
One example of how the body regulates itself on a physiological level is by homeostasis. Homeostasis simply means
to regulate. A part of the human brain, called the hypothalamus, plays an important role in keeping the body regulated
by controlling the body’s thermostat, which is controlled by
the release of several hormones called gonadotropins.
If a female produces too much estrogen, the hypothalamus releases a hormone called luteinizing hormone that
triggers ovulation, therefore acting like a shut-off switch
for the amount of estrogen present. If the thyroid gland
produces too much thyroxin, the hypothalamus produces
a hormone to switch off the flow of the thyroxin. These are
Throughout life, the idea of physiological
needs remains consistent. The need to maintain adequate physiological balance will
always be essential…
The basic principles of Maslow’s hierarchy have
been observed in primates.
just a few examples of homeostasis at work, however, there
are many circulatory hormones that are needed to maintain
normal bodily functions.
Another prime example is the release of the “fight or
flight” hormones that are secreted by the adrenal medulla of
the adrenal glands. If there is a need for the body to defend
itself, these hormones will surge into action to prepare the
body for fight or flight. These hormones, although they play
an important role, are kept in compliance by regulatory
mechanisms within the brain.3
Throughout life, the idea of physiological needs remains
consistent. The need to maintain adequate physiological
balance will always be essential, and may kick into action
in very different ways at various different times, whether
the individuals experiencing it are aware of it or not. For
example, how would anyone ever get a good night’s sleep
if they had to literally think about their breathing pattern,
heart rate or blood pressure on a conscious level? Sure some
people may have to get up during the night to use the restroom or grab a glass of water, but remember that this is all
part of how the body regulates itself.
The notion that physiological needs tie into other, more
complex needs of the hierarchy is very relevant. Maslow
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Again, this need will change depending on where an
individual is in his or her life. For a young child, approvalseeking behaviors may become more commonplace. The
child may engage in activities to get his or her parents’ attention by exploring or asking lots of questions. In a sense, the
child needs to feel an emotional or social connection with
SAFET Y NEEDS
his or her parents. As the child evolves into a teenager, he
Much like physiological needs require maintenance
throughout life, so does the need to feel secure. This need is or she will more than likely become more socially active in
more psychological. With that being said, safety needs may peer groups. Generally, whatever gets reinforced, supported,
be different for each individual, depending on where he or or accepted by these peer groups will often determine which
type of group the adolescent will affiliate him or herself
she is in life. For a child, this need may manifest as the need
with. This idea can be noticed at any
point throughout an individual’s life.
Safety needs may be different for each individual, depending on
As youths mature into adulthood,
they tend to affiliate with those indiwhere he or she is in life. For a child, this need may manifest as
viduals or groups who accept them.
A sense or a need to belong, at any
the need for a safe family environment. There has to be security
stage, is influenced by several factors.
in the home, with warmth and love.
Some of these influences, for example,
are socio-economic influences: the
education level of parents and family,
4
the neighborhood in which the child grows up and the type
for a safe family environment. There has to be security in
the home, with warmth and love. When a family is dysfunc- of schools where they are educated, as well as the children
tional, it makes it difficult for that child to move up to the who attend those schools. Whatever type of behavior is
learned and accepted, based on these variables, is likely the
next level of social needs because fear is often present.
For adults, this need may be economic in nature. If a behavior that will form a particular individual’s character
person loses his or her job, for example, fear and anxiety and self-esteem.
The level of belonging must be established because of its
will have an impact on that person’s social life, and may
effect on one’s self-esteem. If the level of belonging in the
cause him or her to regress. 5 Additionally, adults are not
hierarchy model is low, or an individual is viewed negatively
immune to the need of safety. In some parts of the world,
where there is chaos, people are stuck at this level of need- by peers in that group, he or she may develop social anxiety
ing to feel safe. The goal of consistently meeting the need for and may withdraw toward a level of people in which he or
safety is to have stability in one’s life. It is the idea of being she fits in socially. If a child grows up in a neighborhood
able to walk around the block at night without the worry of where there are street gangs, and attends schools in that
being mugged. It is the idea of feeling secure in the work- neighborhood with the families of those street gangs, then
place. It is conclusive that fear hinders one’s ability to move the likelihood of the child to adapt and take on that form
of character becomes more likely. According to Maslow, the
on to the more advanced platforms of Maslow’s pyramid.
reason for this behavioral pattern is likely due to the peer
groups that the child grew up with.
BELONGING NEEDS
This is not meant to imply that all children who grow up
Advancing up the hierarchy pyramid, the next level reprein this type of neighborhood will join a gang, simply that
sents the need to belong on a social level. The social level
generally becomes the priority only after the physiological there is a higher likelihood of that outcome. On the other
and safety needs have been sufficiently met and maintained. hand, if a child is brought up in a more affluent neighborhood, it is likely that the parents will also be more educated.
A sense of belonging can be felt when an individual becomes
more focused on the desire to build relationships with others. In this scenario, it is more likely that the child will develop
This includes the desire for a romantic partner, to have close and adapt to the peer groups in which education is more
of a priority. The influence in a child’s upbringing starts
friends, and maybe to get married and have children.1
believed that once the physiological needs are met in sufficient detail, people move on to address these more complex needs. Safety and security make up the next platform
of the pyramid.
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with a home and family that secures the previous levels of
Maslow’s hierarchy by meeting and maintaining the foundation levels of needs. Relieving any anxiety or fear will help
put more emphasis on social development, and with this
will come a healthier self-esteem.
ESTEEM NEEDS
Once the needs of physiology, safety and belonging have
been met, the individual will now move on to the needs of
their self-esteem. Self-esteem, like all the prior needs, must
also be maintained. This is the highest platform in the category of deficit needs.1 The process of growth, when addressing one’s self-esteem, builds the bridge to one’s awareness.
Self-esteem begins to establish itself in life as early as age
two. Maslow’s hierarchy addresses two levels of self-esteem.
One of those is a lower level and the other is a higher level.
Maslow’s hierarchy is a two-way street. A person can spend a lifetime
traveling between the two extremes.
The lower form of self-esteem is directly related to an
individual’s ego, meaning that there is a strong need to be
respected by others.4 Within this lower form, the individual
still remains focused on acceptance by others. This lower
form of self-esteem is met when an individual has established a level of status, recognition, fame, reputation and
appreciation, just to name a few. These areas in a person’s
life take work to maintain. They may also require some reinforcement or validation of some kind in order for this lower
form of self-esteem to be maintained.
The higher form of self-esteem that Maslow addresses is that of self-respect. This higher form of self-esteem
requires less maintenance because through accomplishment, it becomes a permanent part of who the individual
is. We can say that once a person has gained respect for
himself or herself, it is much harder to lose that respect
or to have it taken away. People on the higher end of selfesteem generally like who they are. The idea of confidence
in ability, the mastery of something, or the competence that
is established in what these people do, supports this higher
form of self-esteem.
These forms of self-esteem should not be confused with
an individual having high or low self-esteem. Individuals
with low self-esteem often have a low opinion of themselves
and their self-image. As a result, inferiority complexes are
present in the individual. With this idea in mind, Maslow
contends that the majority of people’s
psychological problems are due to low
self-esteem. The realism here is that if
a person don’t like himself or herself,
or who he or she is or what he or she
has accomplished, then that person
will be more critical of himself or herself. Through that process, negative self
talk is born, and can create a barrier to
achieving personal success.
How does low self-esteem impact
these lower and higher forms of selfesteem in general? If an individual
has low self-esteem, the lower form of
self-esteem affects the individual on
a social level. The individual may, for
example, constantly attempt to seek
or validate feedback and acceptance
on a social level from his or her peers.
With regard to the higher form of selfesteem, in the individual with low selfesteem may display a lack of respect for himself or herself
and the expectations that they place upon themselves would
be unrealistic, or perhaps in some cases these expectations
would be placed by others rather than being placed by the
individuals themselves.
It is amazing that all of the prior needs within Maslow’s
hierarchy, including physiological, safety, and even belongingness needs are frequently met, especially in modern society and developed countries. Imagine if more people just had
a little respect for themselves in the grand scheme of things.
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SELF-ACTUALIzATION
Self-actualization is defined by Maslow as the single component of being within the hierarchy model. Being, in this
sense, means not being a part of the deficit needs as they
appear within the lower chain of the hierarchy.1 This need
is independent—there must be some accomplishment of all
the other deficit needs, which are best defined as what we
appear to be, according to the standards of society. Selfactualization is the internal dialogue that everyone establishes at some point in their lives. In order to do that, there
must be some establishment or satisfaction of the prior
needs. Once all of the previous needs have been met, an
individual can direct his or her focus toward a true calling.
Usually when a person is hungry, or they don’t feel safe, or
they feel unloved, the focal point leans towards resolving
those issues, therefore disrupting the focus on self-actualizing. With self-actualization, being able to pinpoint how one
truly feels about something is often a little more challenging
dards in life. There is a more in-depth focus on bettering
oneself and expanding one’s knowledge and talents. The
real definition to self-actualizing is getting to know oneself,
while being okay and unconditionally accepting of whatever
it is that he or she discovers. The question every individual
must face is, do you like and accept who you are? Once
that question is answered, then self-respect is gained. Once
an individual establishes that respect for his or herself, no
one can take that away. In this context, Abraham Maslow is
justified in establishing self-actualization in a category by
itself that quantifies the need of being separately from the
need of deficit.
THE CONTROVERSY
As we take a look at Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy pyramid,
there is some controversy as to how it relates directly to
humanistic psychology. Is there enough evidence to support this hierarchy when it comes right down to how people
develop emotionally? Maslow set forth
with the notion that these stages along
Self-actualizers are focused on what matters most in defining
the course of development match up
with how people experience psychowho they are. Once self-respect is gained, the individual can take
logical growth.
The primary contention is that
a more proactive approach to bettering themselves, as well as
anyone in society can regress back to,
being able to remain focused on resolving any dilemmas …
or value an alternative aspect of the
hierarchy pyramid in a way that is
not parallel with Maslow’s model. For
example, some cultures may be more fixated on belongto figure out, or it can be the determining factor of how well
ing over safety, or esteem over belonging.5 To answer these
he or she is connected with his or her self and abilities.
People who are self-actualizers are focused on what challenges, many experts believe that Abraham Maslow’s
matters most in defining who they are. Once self-respect is hierarchy doesn’t always follow in sequence with how it
gained, the individual can take a more proactive approach was intended. If the notion of self-esteem, for example, is
to bettering themselves, as well as being able to remain
thought to develop in children as early as two years of age,
focused on resolving any dilemmas that may arise regarding then why does Maslow address esteem needs so high up in
the deficit stages. Self-actualizers may be more generative in the hierarchy pyramid? Humanistic psychology does chalthe sense that the focus is no longer as much about pleaslenge some of these notions, even though Maslow was a
ing others as it is giving back or sharing this part of who
believer in humanistic psychology.
they are.6 In other aspects, it can also appear to be spiritual.
Another oft-challenged aspect of his work is that Maslow
himself defined self-actualizers as people of great accomLooking at one’s life as to who he or she is in the universe
is a good example. Once a person is able to come to terms plishment, such as former presidents, dignitaries and great
discoverers. With that being said, it is very difficult to place
with who they are, and they are ultimately satisfied with
an emphasis on the concept of self-actualization. How sigthat, then they have truly reached the point of being able
nificant is the concept of the self-actualizer? The only way
to self-actualize.
With this level of intuition comes a sense of peace, which that to answer that question is to say that all people are at
in turn serves as a motivator to focus on more advanced different stages of development, and all of them are selftasks in life, such as supporting the moral and ethical stan- actualizers in some form.
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overview
When looking at Maslow’s hierarchy pyramid, an important concept to remember is that anyone at anytime can
regress back to any point within the hierarchy structure that
Maslow addresses. How does this impact human behavior?
Looking back at the very basics of physiological needs for
example, people need to feel good. It does not matter if a
person is employed as a janitor or a top-notch cardiac surgeon, if he or she is diagnosed with a disease that impacts
them physically, he or she is likely to regress back towards
satisfying any physiological needs that may come about. The
affected individual’s attitude towards the prognosis of this
disease will likely contribute towards a shift in his or her
priorities. Emotionally, the feelings of love and belonging
may be impacted in the sense that they may want to ensure
that their loved ones are safe when they pass.
With regard to esteem, for some, there may be a great
sense of loss, while others may come to terms with the fact.
With that being said, there are circumstances that affect
each individual with regard to where he or she stands in
the hierarchy pyramid.
Is everyone a self-actualizer? Yes. For each individual,
this experience is different. It is experienced at different depths depending on individual life experiences. The
more in touch one is with one’s inner self, the better he or
she can control, and often master, one’s self-talk. It is also
important to remember that all individuals are constantly
impacted by the forces of life, some of which are far beyond
personal control. When the opportunity arises to experience this hierarchy, and the needs of deficit are fully met, it
allows the individual to make a closer connection with the
concept of self-actualization. Also, when these deficit needs
are met, self-actualization, in a sense, is likely to become
even more enhanced.
The bottom line is that everyone is effected emotionally at every level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. If early
life experiences as a child are positive, and needs are being
met, that individual will excel in the area of self-confidence
and self-esteem at much faster rate. It helps to establish a
strong foundation for life. Later, the individual is able to
establish a much stronger set of coping mechanisms when
one of the deficit needs isn’t being met. Additionally, when
adverse circumstances confront the individual, he or she is
often better-equipped with the ability to problem solve and
confront the challenge confidently.
Conversely, if early life experiences as a child are negative, and needs are not met, that individual’s foundation
isn’t as secure, and he or she is not as likely to excel in selfconfidence and self-esteem, rather, he or she is likely to get
trapped a state of constantly seeking approval from peers.
He or she may develop a fear of making mistakes.
The majority falls somewhere in between what is positive in life and what is negative. Ultimately, individuals who
develop a strong, well-established foundation are likely to
be emotionally strong and can exercise a stronger sense of
self control. Those whose foundation is shaky and not very
stable will focus more on protecting it, therefore having less
confidence in that foundation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert A Poston, cst has been a
surgical technologist since 1993. He
began his work in education with
Concorde Career College in North
Hollywood, California in 1997. He
has been a guest speaker with the California State Assembly
of Surgical Technologists in 2001 and 2003. Robert Poston
is currently the Program Chair for Surgical Technology at
Everest College in Thornton, Colorado. He has also served
as an item writer for the National Certification Exam for
Surgical Technology.
RefeRences
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html. Accessed: 4/9/2009.
3. Applegate, Edith. The Anatomy and Physiology Learning System. 2000. p
214-215.
4. Drinnien, Beverly; Irwin, Donald; Simons, Janet. Psychology—The Search
for Understanding. West Publishing Company. New York. 1987. Available at: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/
teachtip/maslow.htm. Accessed: 4/9/2009.
5. NetMBA Business Knowledge Center. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.”
2007. Available at: http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/maslow/.
Accessed: 4/9/2009.
6. Van Wagner, Kendra. “Self-Actualization and the Hierarchy of Needs.”
2009. Available at: http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/
hierarchyneeds_2.htm. Accessed: 4/9/2009.
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